Update: Tragedy in Tripa
Hillary Lehr
Background Blog: http://understory.ran.org/2012/04/10/tragedy-in-tripa-cargill-can-make-a-difference/
Take Action: http://act.ran.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5812&track=website
Hey RAN-Twin-Cities-
Just wanted to give a heads up that we are in the middle of a campaign push to get Cargill to implement the crucial safeguards listed below, and to save the critically endangered species of Tripa. As you read this letter, fires and rainforest clearing by the palm oil industry continues in Indonesia. The situation is dire in Sumatra’s Tripa rainforest ecosystem where the unique population of critically endangered Sumatran orangutans teeters on the very brink of extinction.
Cargill still lacks safeguards on the quarter of the global palm oil supply that it trades. Therefore, it is necessary to cut ties with all palm oil companies profiting from destruction of the Tripa peat forest ecosystem. Financial pressure is crucial to ceasing all land clearing and burning activities by palm oil companies, pending the outcome of investigations into breaches of legality, destructive practices and social conflict associated with palm oil.
We are urging Cargill to take urgent and decisive action to save Sumatran orangutans and the Tripa rainforest:
1) Immediately stop trading palm oil with companies profiting from the destruction of Tripa peat forest.
2) Adopt supply chain safeguards so that Cargill can guarantee that the palm oil you supply does not ever cause a catastrophe like the Tripa fires.
Required safeguards include:
-Social Safeguards
A commitment to resolve social and land rights tenure conflicts, a no-trade position for growers using child or slave labor, adherence to obtaining free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) of forest-dependent communities before lands are acquired or developed, and a commitment to implement the United Nations “protect, respect, and remedy” framework for human rights. See: 198.170.85.29/Ruggie-protect-respect-remedy-framework.pdf
-Environmental Safeguards
A commitment to reduce biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions by ending the expansion of palm oil plantations into High Conservation Value (HCV) areas including critical habitat, peatlands and High Carbon Stock forests, and other natural forests and ecosystems.
-Public Transparency
A commitment to transparent and consistent reporting of metrics and targets as well as regular stakeholder and rights-holder engagement.
-Companies and concessions that Cargill should immediately stop trading with include: Kallista Alam, Surya Panen Subar, Astra International, Astra Agro Lestari, Triputra Agro Persada, Agro Maju Raya, Hamparan Sawit Nusantara, Cemerlang Abadi, Dua Perkasa Lestari, PGSA, and Gelora Sawita Makmur.
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Please sign the petition and forward to your friends and networks.. thanks!
Hillary V Lehr
Grassroots Action Manager, Forests Program
Rainforest Action Network
"Our food system has been hijacked by corporate giants from the Seed to the table. Seeds controlled by Monsanto, agribusiness trade controlled by Cargill, processing controlled by Pepsi and Philip Morris, retail controlled by Walmart - is a recipe for Food Dictatorship. We must Occupy the Food system to create Food Democracy." -Vandana Shiva, Indian physicist and internationally renowned activist